Not at all surprising really, no matter how scared Republican Congressmen might have been of him (and they were- he didn't have the nickname of the Hammer for nothing), their self preservation instincts would have had to kick in sooner or later if they were to stand any chance of retaining control of the House in November.

At the risk of starting another bunfight:

Ctauch said:

jonwilly said:

Abramoff pleads guilty to fraud 5:07pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on Tuesday and agreed to help U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

The BBC World servive has just carried an interview with an Expert who says that this will cause very high level problems for Republicans and only minor problems for Democrats so Bush will certainly get even more grief at high level.
john
Wonder why this never happens in UK for has Blur not run the most corrupt government since Lloyd George ?

Click to expand...

Of course it is only trouble for republicans, democrates are as pure as the wind driven snow

This is gong to touch both parties equally, but more then likely no one in a leadership position.

1. A Mr. Brent Wilkes was the proprietor of a group of "companies" whose chief excuse for existence was to siphon money out of the US Treasury and to have staffs of notional employees to donate money to associated Political Action Committees (PACs).

2. Mr. Wilkes' companies produced an output of goods and services that ranged from negligible to non-existent.

3. Mr. Wilkes is a former "CIA financier of black bag operations."

4. Mr. Wilkes had a lot of friends on Capitol Hill.

5. One of these friends was recent Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Randy "Duke" Cunningham. (R-Cal).

6. One of Mr. Wilkes' companies, "ACDS," was able successfully to get federal contracts by submission of unsolicited bids to the Pentagon. In other words, it tendered notional bids as to which the ostensible solicitor made no solicitation.

7. Various public officials and candidates benefitted financially from Mr. Wilkes' companies, including Mr. Delay.

8. Mr. Delay re-distributed to other Republican candidates money collected by Jack Abramoff or his organizations.

9. Estimates of the total amount of taxpayers' money thus collected by "ACDS" vary and may be as high as seven hundred million dollars.

In summary, it's alleged that various politicians, primarily Republicans, are stuffing their pockets and campaign coffers with money appropriated from the Treasury under very dubious circumstances.